Neighborhood Electric Vehicle
A Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) is a U.S. denomination for battery electric vehicles that are legally limited to roads with posted speed limits as high as depending on the particular laws of the state, usually are built to have a top speed of , and have a maximum loaded weight of 3,000 lbs. NEVs fall under the United States Department of Transportation classification for low-speed vehicles. A NEV battery pack recharges by plugging into a standard outlet and because it is an all-electric vehicle it does not produce tailpipe emissions. If recharged from clean energy sources such as solar or wind power, NEVs do not produce greenhouse gas emissions. In the state of California NEVs are classified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as zero emissions vehicles (ZEV) and are eligible for a purchase rebate of up to $1,500 if purchased or leased on or after March 15, 2010. Pike Research estimated there were 478,771 NEVs on the world roads in 2011. As of December 2010, the GEM neighborhood electric vehicle is the market leader, with global sales of more than 45,000 units. The two largest NEV markets in 2011 were the United States, with 14,737 units sold, and France, with 2,231 units. U.S. regulations EV]] Low-speed vehicle is a federally approved street-legal vehicle classification which came into existence in 1998 under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 500 (FMVSS 500). There is nothing in the federal regulations specifically pertaining to the powertrain. Low-speed vehicles are defined as a four-wheeled motor vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rating of less than and a top speed of between .49 CFR § 571.3 - US Code of Federal Regulations; http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/571.500.htm Those states that authorize NEVs generally restrict their operation to streets with a maximum speed limit of . Because of federal law, car dealers cannot legally sell the vehicles to go faster than , but the buyer can easily modify the car to go . However, if modified to exceed , the vehicle then becomes subject to safety requirements of passenger cars. These speed restrictions, combined with a typical driving range of per charge and a typical three-year battery durability, are required because of a lack of federally mandated safety equipment and features which NEVs can not accommodate because of their design. To satisfy federal safety requirements for manufacturers, NEVs must be equipped with three-point seat belts or a lap belt,windshield wipers are not required, running lights, headlights, brake lights, reflectors, rear view mirrors, and turn signals. In many cases, doors may be optional, crash protection from other vehicles is partially met compared to other non motorized transport such as bicycles because of the use of seat belts. State regulations Regulations for operating an NEV vary by state. The federal government allows state and local governments to add additional safety requirements beyond those of Title 49 Part 571.500. For instance,the State of New York requires additional safety equipment to include windshield wipers, window defroster, speedometer, odometer and a back-up light. Generally, they must be titled and registered, and the driver must be licensed. Because airbags are not required the NEV cannot normally travel on highways or freeways. NEVs in many states are restricted to roads with a speed limit of or less. As of February 2012, NEVs are street-legal in 46 states. Community design used by the Tourist Police in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, being recharged]] NEV used by a street food vendor at the National Mall, Washington, D.C.]] NEV at the National Mall, Washington, D.C.]] 2 door is commercialized as a NEV in the U.S. and as a quadricycle in Europe.]] Some communities are designed to separate neighborhoods from commercial and other areas, connecting them with relatively high speed thoroughfares on which NEVs cannot go, legally or safely. As a result, these vehicles are most common in communities that provide separate routes for them or generally accommodate slow speed traffic. from Dynasty IT ]] NXR (India) ~10,000 euro]] Some communities designed specifically with NEVs in mind include: *Celebration, Florida *The Villages, Florida Other communities that permit NEVs: *Put-in-Bay, Ohio *Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California *Lincoln, California *Coronado, California *Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, Canada Other countries ;UK In the UK this type of vehicles is mainly used on private estates and at events, rather than on the public highway. ;Rest of world * ? Sales In January 2009 the U.S. Army has announced that it will lease 4,000 Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) within three years. The Army plans to use NEVs at its bases for transport of personnel and for security patrols and maintenance and delivery services. As of December 2010, the GEM neighborhood electric vehicle is the world's top selling NEV, with cumulative global sales of more than 45,000 units since 1998. The two largest NEV markets in 2011 were the United States, with 14,737 units sold, and France, with 2,231 units. Examples *BugE *citEcar *Columbia ParCar Summit LSV *CT&T *Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) *The Kurrent *Miles Automotive Group *MIT Car *Mycar *Oka NEV ZEV *Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility (proposed) *Polaris Ranger EV LSV *REVA *Solar Bug (Free Drive EV) *T3 Motion, Inc. *Trikke Trikke Pon-e 48v UPT *Xtreme Green Products *ZENN (Feel Good Cars) See also * City car * Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles * Medium Speed Vehicle * Solar Golf Cart * Electric Commercial Vehicles ** Electric platform truck ** Milk float References External links *The ZENN (Zero Emissions No Noise) of Driving *S.A.V.E. pushes legislation for 35 mph in Montana. *Yahoo! NEVs group *Summary of Montana's Medium-Speed Electric Vehicle (MSEV) legislation *Washington's MSEV legislation Category:Battery electric vehicles Category:Neighborhood electric vehicles